With a global reputation as an authority on pneumatic conveying and bulk solids handling, Jones leads a team of 36 staff at TUNRA that have delivered more than 3,500 bulk solids handling projects for over 1,000 companies across 40 countries.

"The handling of materials can be a very, very significant proportion of costs and the University of Newcastle and TUNRA has saved millions of dollars for many national and international companies through rigorous contract research leading to significant improvements to production," Professor Jones
said.

"Bulk materials handling deals with a number of varying factors that make it an extremely specialised field. The research undertaken is multidisciplinary in nature and spans a wide range of engineering and scientific topics," he said.

"It's an incredibly diverse field requiring expert knowledge in many aspects of mechanical engineering from fluid mechanics to vibrations. The interaction of a bulk material with the environment, in particular effects of moisture content, temperature and loading conditions, have a profound effect on
the way a material behaves. These interactions have a massive effect on the performance of bulk handling systems and equipment.

"In fact one of our PhD students, who actually did his masters in rocket science, said he found bulk handling harder due to the complexities and wide expertise required."

Within the next six months, TUNRA is on schedule to develop a multi-million prototype for a new belt conveyor that is expected to cut energy consumption by half and potentially convey over double the distance of the current largest conveyor in the world in a single stage, resulting in huge cost savings.

TUNRA is also currently researching safe transportable moisture limits for bulk cargo on ships, the outputs of which could potentially help set the world standard and guidelines through the International Maritime Organisation. Another project that Jones has in the pipeline, is a software tool and algorithm
combination that predicts the lifetime of pipelines.

"TUNRA is a very unique animal and I don't know of another entity like it in the world. On one level, it's a commercial company that provides contract research and development and professional consulting. On another level, it is not-for-profit so all proceeds go straight back into research, hiring
post doctorates, supporting students and building infrastructure.

"Within the one research group, our work ranges from fundamental and applied research through to industry practice and professional development programs."

Under Professor Jones' guidance, TUNRA's turnover has risen from less than a million dollars in 2005 to $4.7 million in 2012. Crucially, Jones credits much of TUNRA's success to the fact that the researchers are so closely linked with industry.

"TUNRA works very closely with industry so we actually see what the real problems are and the research we undertake is all directed to solving or minimising the problems that industry face."

With over 30 years' experience in the field and as President of the International Freight Pipeline Society, Professor Jones' is in-demand as a speaker and is set to present to conferences and courses in South Africa, UK, United States of America, India and China in the coming six months.

"Bulk handling is not rocket science - it's harder." It is a big claim, but the Director of TUNRA Bulk Solids and the Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Professor Mark Jones, deals in big…

Career Summary

Biography

Research ExpertiseProfessor Mark Jones is Director of the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies and has extensive experience in pneumatic conveying and industrial bulk solids handling. For 11 years prior to arriving in Australia he worked within the Centre for Industrial Bulk Solids Handling in the Department of Physical Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University, UK. In this role he was the Lead Investigator in a number of large-scale research projects funded by the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the Department of Trade and Industry and major companies such as BP (UK), Aluminium Pechiney (France) and Alcoa (USA). His largest project as Chief Investigator was funded by the ECSC and was undertaken in collaboration with the Coal Research Establishment in the UK. This project was funded to a value of $1.2million. Since arriving in Australia (1999), he has had many successful outcomes from several ARC funded research projects. These include; " An ARC Large Grant on plug formation mechanics in dense pneumatic conveying. " A SPIRT Grant on pressure drop prediction for pressurised pneumatic conveying systems. " An ARC Linkage Grant on the development of design and optimisation tools for bulk material storage systems. " An ARC Linkage Grant on specific issues in the development of high speed belt conveyors. " An ARC Discovery Project investigating handling issues and mechanical behaviour of stringy/compressible materials. His principal contributions are in the areas of pneumatic conveying and characterisation, however he has contributed a significant amount of work in a wide range of areas within bulk materials handling. His major contributions include; " Developing modelling techniques for fluidised dense phase pneumatic conveying. " Establishing theory on the mechanics of dense phase slug-flow pneumatic conveying. " Intelligent control systems for pneumatic conveying systems. " Pioneering work in dense phase hydraulic conveying in the energy generation industry. " Unravelling segregation mechanisms in the handling of blended materials. " Developing characterisation techniques for bulk solids handling applications.

Teaching ExpertiseProfessor Mark Jones has extensive teaching experience at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels. He currently teaches Mechanics of Bulk Solids and Particulates to undergraduates on the Mechanical Engineering Program and Bulk Material Handling and Transportation as an elective accross the School. He has prviously been the Academic Leader for a Master's Degree in Bulk Solids Handling and regularly presents Continuing Professional Development courses to practicing engineers, both in Australia and overseas.

Administrative ExpertiseProfessor Mark Jones is curently Head of the School of Engineering and Director of the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies. He has previously held a number of administrative and leadership roles including Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor (12 months), Assistant Dean (Research Training), Assistant Dean (Community Relations and Marketing), Deputy Head of School, Head of Mechanical Engineering

CollaborationsPneumatic conveying; material characterisation; fluidisation and de-aeration (particularly in relation to prediction of pneumatic conveying performance); gravity flow of solids; mixing and de-mixing of solids. General area of bulk solids handling.

In order to reveal the unsteady features of gasÂ¿solid flow, the pressure fluctuations were measured at different locations along the length of the pipeline while conveying powder... [more]

In order to reveal the unsteady features of gasÂ¿solid flow, the pressure fluctuations were measured at different locations along the length of the pipeline while conveying powders through the pipeline. Power spectral density (PSD) functions were obtained for the analysis of the pressure fluctuation. Two types of powders (fly ash and alumina) were used in this analysis. The PSD analysis was conducted by taking into account different aspects such as flow conditions (dilute or dense), location of transmitter (top and bottom transmitters), location of transmitter along the length of the pipeline (three different locations), material property (fly ash or alumina), etc. Analysis of signals from top and bottom transmitters shows that it is not possible to identify the flow mode at upper and lower portions of pipeline. The magnitude of power is found to be higher for alumina as compared to fly ash. PSD parametric analysis reveals that frequency bandwidth and average power decreases exponentially with increase in solid loading ratio.

Fine powders (Formula presented.)) behave analogously to liquids when aerated by air. Hence, methods (e.g. Couette method) used to determine the flow performance of liquids can be adopted to investigate the similar flow properties (e.g. apparent shear resistance) of aerated powders. By this means, the understanding and handling techniques for aerated fine powders can be significantly enhanced. This research aims to investigate the apparent shear resistance of aerated fine powders through a specialised viscometer. Such a viscometer is combined with a fluidisation system and a common rotary viscometer. Three types of fine powders (alumina, cement and flyash) were selected as testing materials. Experimental results indicated that aerated fine powders behave similarly to HerschelÂ¿Bulkley non-Newtonian fluids. Subsequently, the apparent shear resistance for three fine powders were modelled by modifying the original HerschelÂ¿Bulkley rheology model. Consequently, the apparent shear resistance of a specific aerated powder can be measured and modelled using the bench scale system developed in this study, thus can be utilised to predict the flow performance of fine powders in pneumatic conveyors.

Air-gravity conveyors, commonly referred to as air-slides, are widely used in industry to convey bulk materials with the advantages of low particle velocities, low levels of parti... [more]

Air-gravity conveyors, commonly referred to as air-slides, are widely used in industry to convey bulk materials with the advantages of low particle velocities, low levels of particle attrition, potentially very high conveying rates and low power consumption. Most current designs are based on empirical design charts and past experience as there have been relatively few investigations attempting to model the flow of aerated powders on air-gravity conveyor systems. In this paper, ANSYS FLUENT has been used to simulate the air-gravity flow, where a steady, three-dimensional fluidized granular flow is considered in a rectangular channel having frictional side walls for different flow conditions. The results of simulated bed heights along the air-gravity channel are discussed. Moreover, this paper reports on work which attempts to develop a fundamental conveying model for air-gravity conveyor flows in inclined channels with an emphasis on the conservation of momentum taking into account the rheology of the gas-solid mixture. The conveying model shows the relationship between mass flow rate and bed height. The developed model well predicts the steady flow bed heights for each mass flow rate. A sensitivity analysis has been carried out which demonstrates that the conveying model can be applied to powders in a fluidized state to predict the bed heights of the flow under inclination angles between 1Â° to 10Â°.

The stationary layer of material between slugs in horizontal slug flow pneumatic conveying is an important reflection on the state and dynamics of a system. The gas-liquid analogy... [more]

The stationary layer of material between slugs in horizontal slug flow pneumatic conveying is an important reflection on the state and dynamics of a system. The gas-liquid analogy model of Konrad has been shown to accurately predict the layer fraction for a range of cases but the model breaks down near blockage conditions and does not consider material properties. A new model based on the rate of change of the layer fraction with respect to slug velocity was developed that accounts for material properties and is applicable at blockage conditions. Results from tests on polypropylene pellets were compared to the new model and the model of Konrad with both models satisfactorily predicting the layer fraction in the range of slug velocities that were observed for the material. At the higher extremity of slug velocity the new model predicted an earlier onset of a change in flow types than the model of Konrad which was supported by experimental observations but not enough data was obtained on the test material to compare predictions near blockage conditions. A material dependent constant in the new model was found for polypropylene pellets with further investigations needed to explore this constant as a predictive or classifying tool for materials and their ability to slug.

Research Supervision

Number of supervisions

Completed15

Current6

Total current UON EFTSL

Masters0.3

PhD0.8

Current Supervision

Commenced

Level of Study

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2016

Masters

Identification of Moisture Reduction Systems and Associated Moisture Removal Mechanism for Hydrophilic OresM Philosophy (Mechanical Eng), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2014

PhD

Pneumatic ConveyingPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2014

PhD

Identification, Measurement and Modelling of Mineralogical Influence on WSO Flow BehaviourPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2014

Masters

Experimental Analysis of Belt Flexure Resistance of Conveyor BeltM Philosophy (Mechanical Eng), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2013

PhD

Development of Design Models For Air-Slide Fine Powder TransportPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2012

PhD

Analysis of a Steep Angle Conveying SystemPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

Past Supervision

Year

Level of Study

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2016

PhD

Development of a Constitutive Model for Energy Factors in Erosive Wear Models to Predict the Service Life of Ductile MetalsPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2016

PhD

Modelling the Pumping Characteristics of Power Station Ash in a Dense Phase Hydraulic Conveying SystemPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2015

PhD

Mechanical and Dielectric Relaxation Studies of Conveyor Belt Compounds to Determine Indentation Rolling Resistance PropertiesPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2014

PhD

Experimental and Theoretical Advances for Innovative Bypass Pneumatic Conveying System DesignPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2014

PhD

The Rheology of Aerated Fine Powders: Theory and Application in Pneumatic Conveying SystemsPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2014

PhD

Investigation of Arching Behaviour Under Surcharge Pressure in Mass-Flow Bins and Stress States at Hopper/Feeder InterfacePhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2014

PhD

Investigation of the Mechanics of Funnel Flow in Relation to Draw-down and Loads on Buried Structures in StockpilesPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2013

PhD

Identification and Development of Embedded Computational Fluid Dynamic Models for Densely Packed Passive Bypass Pneumatic Conveying SystemsPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2012

Masters

Experimental Determination of Deformation and Cutting Energy Factor for Wear Prediction of Pneumatic Conveying PipelineM Philosophy (Mechanical Eng), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2009

PhD

Dynamic Analysis of Non-Steady Flow in Granular Dense Phase Pneumatic ConveyingPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2008

PhD

Permeability and the Structure of Porosity in Particulate MaterialsPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2008

PhD

Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveying of Powders: Design Aspects and PhenomenaPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2006

PhD

Investigation of Boundary Friction and Abrasive Wear in Bulk Solids Handling OperationsPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

2005

PhD

Slug Flow Pneumatic Conveying: Stress Field Analysis and Pressure Drop PredictionPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastlePrincipal Supervisor

2004

PhD

Analysis of the Main Resistances of Belt ConveyorsPhD (Mechanical Engineering), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of NewcastleCo-Supervisor

Research Collaborations

The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.